You take away the cold
by Lucky-lil-Lady
Summary: The boys on the Rikai team are now in their twenties. Kirihara, Akaya had gone missing for one weekend. He arives at Bunta, Marui's apartement severely scratched up without a clue to what happened over the weekend. Warning! There is boy on boy and rape
1. Calls for help

-Hiroshi and Masaharu's apartment-

Chapter 1: Calls for help

"Marui-Kun, could you close up shop for me?"

"Sure!"

A boy of about twenty-two closed and locked the door of the shop, The Caramel Apple, he managed. He whipped the counter off and turned the sine in the window so that the word "Closed" was flashed to the people in the street. The boy ruffled his reddish-pink hair and blew a bubble nearly twice the size of his head. It popped all over his face.

Marui, for that was the boy's name, climbed a short flight of stairs to the smaller second story. He lived above the shop. Today was just like any other day. Giving the customers fudge samples and watching small children cry for candy was all in a day's work. Tonight he would go to sleep early and be awakened rudely be a drunken phone call from a Masaharu or Hiroshi. At least that's what he thought. As soon as Marui entered his one-room living quarters, a shiver ran down his spine. Something… No! Someone was under the covers of his bed. He approached cautiously, half afraid of what he might find. As he reached out for the cover, he realized that his hands were trembling. Bracing himself, he tore the blankets away and gasped. A soft moan came from the motionless body on the mattress. Marui struggled to speak.

"A-Akaya?!"

He received no reply. There was no mistake. The curly black hair and small muscled body couldn't belong to anyone else.

"Akaya!"

Surely enough, the motionless body was the younger boy. He was unmistakable, except for the blood dripping from his forehead. Marui was in a state of panic. He gritted his teeth and swallowed his entire wad of gum. A stream of questions flooded his mind. How did he get into Marui's room? Where had he been all weekend? Why was he bleeding so much? And most importantly, what on earth had happened to him? He decided the best thing to do was clean his friend up the best he could. Putting on an effort to keep his hands from trembling, he rolled Akaya into a semi-sitting position. He grew red when he felt Akaya snuggle into his chest. Carefully, Marui unzipped and removed Akaya's blood stained wind breaker jacket. It appeared to be the only top he had left. Marui felt a sharp intake of breath. Two lines of copper colored ooze dripped down his friend's middle. The shaking began to grow worse as Marui used a clean rag to mop the wounds. He felt Akaya's body tense against his own. It was a wonder the younger boy hadn't woken up at all. The cuts along his ribs were thin and bandaged easily. Marui shifted a little to inspect the upper body. Without warning, Akaya's hand shot up and took hold of Marui's shirt. After a few feeble attempts to get him off, Marui gave up. He spotted a blackening bruise on Akaya's exposed side. No doubt a few ribs had been cracked…or worse… He wished he knew how to take care of that but didn't dare touch it. The chest was just the same as it had always been. The skin there seemed untouched. His neck however, was a complete disaster. The entire front of his throat had turned a sickening purple. As Marui hesitantly inspected the back of his neck, he saw that the purple mark was in the shape of a hand. At the tip of each finger was a small, crescent shaped cut. On the tender flesh between the shoulder and neck was a deep, full mouth, bite mark. Marui felt sick and fought the urge to vomit. He had to get this job done first. Careful not to hurt his friend any more than he already was, Marui laid Akaya down on his back. He let out a pitiful whimper and rolled to one side. Marui's whole body was shaking now. He gingerly removed the sweat pants and this time, he couldn't hold it back.

Marui wiped his face as he re-entered his room from the bathroom. He forced him self to look at what had made him convulse. Akaya's lower body was a mess. His hips were heavily bruised, but that wasn't the worst of it. His inner thighs seemed grotesque and almost deformed. They were almost completely black with a hint of green. Blood leaked from this area as well. Marui cleaned the cuts the best he could. They seemed to have come from someone's fingernails. Marui's blood boiled. If he ever caught the person who did this to him, they would pay dearly. The anger seemed to have stopped all of Marui's shaking. He rolled Akaya's limp body onto its stomach in order to get a better look at his back. It had been treated in a similar way his thighs had. The cuts were deeper and most of them were still bleeding. On the lower back, just at the tail bone, the skin was raw. It had cracked, turned red, and begun to bleed. The body whole shuddered at the slightest touch. Marui tried to be as gentle as possible as he mopped up the blood and bandaged his friend. Shaking once more, Marui collapsed next to his bed. Tears sprang from the corners of his violet eyes. At least Akaya was alive.

Yukimura Seiichi lay on his back asleep. His friend and partner Sanada, Genichirou set next to him. Seiichi was so fragile. He had a fever. It had started in the middle of the night. He had awoken Genichirou when he had climbed back into bed after getting himself a glass of water. Genichirou had noticed the heat and placed his hand on Seiichi's forehead. He had been warm, too warm. Only now had he finally settled down and fallen asleep. Genichirou jumped in his chair as the phone in their apartment rang shrilly. He cursed. Who the hell was calling in the middle of the night? He answered quickly.

"Moshi, moshi. Genichirou here."

"Saaaaaaaaaaaanaaaaaaaaaaaadaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Seiichi stirred a little in his slumber.

"Marui!"

Genichirou hissed. He was in a bad mood and Marui had almost woken Seiichi who was having a hard time as it was.

"I need your help!"

"Yukimura-Buchou has a temperature! Call someone else!"

Genichirou would have liked to have slammed the phone but set it down carefully so as not to wake Seiichi.

Yagyuu Hiroshi and Niou Masaharu rarely got a full night's sleep. Probably because Masaharu was not one to stop what he was doing for something as superficial as rest. Or maybe it was because Hiroshi always wanted the read 'just one more chapter' of a book. The reason that was most likely, however, is that Masaharu was a horny bastard, plain and simple. At the moment, Hiroshi was sitting on the couch, Masaharu's head resting comfortably in his lap. He was deeply immersed in "The Tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table." Masaharu was growing intensely bored. He reached up and poked the book until Hiroshi moved it above his reach and threw him an annoyed glare over his glasses.

"What is it Masaharu-Kun?"

Masaharu put on what he hoped was a sweet expression.

"Puri."

Hiroshi rolled his dark brown eyes.

"Fine…"

Marui pressed speed dial again.

"Pick up… For the love of God, please pick up the phone…"

It seemed as if nobody would pick up the phone but then;

"Moshi, moshi?"

Marui was silent for a moment.

"HIIIROOOOSHIIIII!"

"Good evening to you too Marui-Kun. And to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Marui heard Masaharu's muffled voice over the phone.

"God damn it! Just when I got him in the mood too!"

Marui shook.

"There-There's something wrong with Akaya...

The phone on the other end beeped. Hiroshi had put him on speaker.

"Hiroshi, he's hurt and I can't wake him up! Please… Hiroshi… C-could you come over? It's just… I'm so scared!"

Marui hadn't realized he had burst into tears.

"We're on our way. Just hold tight until we get there okay?"

Marui gulped.

"H-hai…"

It wasn't long before Marui heard three light knocks and one kick on the shop door. He'd used up most of his energy in his panic. This made it more difficult to descend the stairs to shop.

"I'm coming…"

No sooner had he unlocked the door did Masaharu come enter. Marui blinked. Why was he on the floor? Hiroshi held out his hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Where is he Marui-Kun?"

Marui's room was pitch black before he opened the door and flicked the light switch. The body in his bed shifted and moaned. Hiroshi approached slowly and whispered.

"Akaya…"

Akaya stiffened.

"Your going to have to work with me okay? I'm

Marui and Masaharu had to admire Hiroshi's bravery. Akaya was like a wild animal when he was injured and mentally unstable on top of that. Akaya refused to move at all.

"Stay the hell away from me!"

Masaharu felt Hiroshi was endangering himself by staying where he was. Hiroshi gently tried to get Akaya into a sitting position. As soon as he was successful, Akaya cried out in agony.

"Aah! Marui-Senpai! Make him stop!"

Marui caught Akaya in his arms before he hit the floor. Akaya clutched at Marui's back. He shook, but not with pain. Tears sprang from the corners of his eyes. His whole body convulsed with sobs. Marui bit his lip. Akaya's nails were digging into his back.

"Marui-Senpai…"

His muscles relaxed somewhat.

"I- I think he's… asleep…"

Akaya blinked. He lay face down in somebody else's bed. Akaya couldn't remember where he was or how he had gotten there. He looked up groggily. Without really thinking, Akaya rolled over onto his back and yelped. Somebody pushed him, roughly back into his original position. Akaya let out a little whimper.

"Wh-who?..."

"Just me kid."

"Ma-Masaharu-Senpai?"

"No shit."

Akaya closed his eyes and rested his head on the pillow. He felt too dizzy to think.

"H-How?..."

"Marui called us."

"Mmh…"

Akaya was distracted by a searing pain in his backside. He reached back to see what it was.

"Don't touch that! You nitwit! We just stopped the bleeding!"

Bleeding… No wonder his mind was so hazy. Akaya surveyed the scene. Even with his limited line of vision, Akaya could tell this must be Marui's apartment. Nobody else's room smelled so strongly of candy.

"Where is Marui-Senpai?"

A neat pair of pants came into view.

"He's down stairs. I told him to go make tea. It usually helps calm his nerves. You know how he is."

Akaya chuckled but it turned into a little moan. His side felt like it was on fire.

"I'm back."

"Marui-Kun."

Hiroshi addressed him.

"We need to be on our way. If you could take care of him, that would be great. Maraharu-Kun and I shall inform Yukimura-Buchou and Sanada-Kun. You just worry about Akaya. Good luck Marui-Kun. I will be calling you in the morning to check how things are going."

Marui shifted in his single chair. He had fallen asleep. Marui ruffled his magenta hair and sat up. The covers on his bed were shaking. He got up and crossed to the bedside.

"Akaya? Akaya, what's wrong?"

Marui knelt so that his face was level with the smaller boy's. A pair of blank green pools stared up at him.

"Marui-Senpai… It's so cold… I can't make it stop…"

The shivers that ran up and down his frame grew more violent still. Marui ran his fingers through his hair and grabbed it in frustration. He was a genius. He had though he could fix anything. This however, he had no idea how to cope with. Akaya was his responsibility and therefore, it was his job to make this right. Marui sighed. It was the only way. Marui crossed to the other side of the bed and crawled under the blankets. He wrapped his arms around Akaya's bare chest. He was warm, no not warm. Hot. Too hot for him to be shivering like that. Akaya didn't even budge when Marui pulled him in closer so that their bodies were pressed up against each other. Marui's chin rested on top of Akaya's shoulder. He leaned in and whispered.

"Akaya, you have to hang in there."

Akaya was awake, but he didn't want to open his eyes. He figured he must have passed out. The first thing he noticed was gentle warmth spread through his body. Something stirred against his back. Akaya craned his neck around. A mess of magenta hair draped over his soldier. It was Marui. His face was comfortably snuggled into Akaya's back and his forehead rested on Akaya's shoulder. When Akaya tried to move, Marui let out a soft whimper and hugged him tighter. Akaya sighed and rested his arms on top of Marui's. "Thank you Marui-Senpai. Thank you for taking away the cold."


	2. Tea anyone?

CHAPTER 2; Tea anyone

CHAPTER 2; Tea anyone?

one week later

"Akaya-Chan! Wake up!"

Akaya rolled onto his back and rubbed his black curls drowsily.

"Wh-why...?"

Marui, Akaya's new room mate, threw a powder pink pillow with the word, "Yummy" embroidered on it, at him. It hit his face and thumped to the floor. "Masaharu-Kun just got paid! We're having dinner on him and Hiroshi! Just don't tell Hiroshi..."

"Eh..."

Akaya sat up slowly, stretching. He flinched as the pain shot through his entire body. Marui's back was, luckily, turned to him. He was rummaging in a drawer. Marui produced a long tee-shirt and tossed it at Akaya. Akaya caught it and read the front. There were several candies plastered on it as well as the words 'sweets are nice! Sugar and spice!' Akaya laughed even though it hurt him and pulled it on. Marui smiled down at him and held out his hand.

"Shall the genius call a cab for the young man?"

Akaya rolled his eyes, but allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. He winced and this time Marui saw.

"You okay?"

Akaya simply waved it off with a vague; "It's nothing..."

Marui squinted, but blew the seriousness of the moment by blowing an absurd green bubble.

The small diner the ex-Rikai team the team frequented was nearly empty despite the fact that it was a Friday. Hiroshi took charge instantly.

"A table for..."

He took a quick head count.

"...Seven please."

The waitress smiled at him and escorted them all to their usual table. Her name was Ami and she knew their usuals by heart. She soon returned to them with a tray laden with tea. Marui poured a waterfall of honey. Hiroshi, being the gentleman he was, sipped his tea politely. Masaharu, naturally, did the reverse. He guzzled it all down and rudely demanded another cup. Marui soon became discontent with sitting down and began to roam around. Akaya wanted to get up with him, but felt it was best he sat down so as not to attract suspicion. Marui didn't come back to sit down. He just talked at the other customers. Most of them grew annoyed and shooed him away.

"Beat it kid! I'm trying to eat here!"

Marui, miffed, blew a bubble the size of his head and slunk back to his seat. Marui bumped Akaya's side in an attempt to take his seat. Akaya drew in his breath in a shaky gasp. It felt as if he had been stabbed. Akaya bit his lip and tasted blood. Somebody's hand pressed his head against something a chest. Warmth like tea on a cold winter night flooded him from the inside out. The other gripped his shoulder gently. As soon as they broke apart, Seiichi covered his mouth and chuckled. The food arrived then which saved Marui and Akaya from too much embarrassment. Marui had ordered pancakes, his usual. Akaya could never understand how anyone could eat pancakes for dinner, but Marui did it all the time. He ate three of the six in his stack and resumed his bouncing around. Seiichi engaged Akaya in a bit of a forced conversation.

"How've you been holding up Akaya-Chan?"

"Fine... I'm fine, thank you Yukimura-Buchou..."

Seiichi glanced at a spot where Marui was being irritating.

"I can see that."

He smiled and laid his head on Genichirou's Shoulder. Akaya blushed a deep magenta. He looked around to the spot Seiichi's eyes had darted to. Marui was not there.

"You had us worried there for a while Akaya-Chan. None of us knew where you were."

Akaya mumbled, but nobody could understand what he was saying.

"Where were you all weekend?"

"I…"

Akaya gulped.

"I d-don't remember."

Akaya was telling the truth. The last thing he remembered was having dinner on Friday. Everything beyond that was a complete blank. Akaya decided to change the subject.

"Where is Marui-Senpai?"

Seiichi's fuchsia eyes combed the diner.

"Good question. Where did Marui-Chan go?"

"I'm over here!"

Marui waved to them from where he sat at the counter. Next to him sat a blonde man who wore a deep gray sport coat and a pink scarf tied in the front. He looked about forty years old. Jackel snickered and hollered at Marui.

"Hey moron, isn't he a little old for you?!"

Marui blew a bubble and flipped Jackel off.

"Fuck off Jackass! We're just talking!"

The team stayed late into the night as was customary. Akaya fidgeted uncomfortably. He was horrible at sitting still for any long period of time. He scanned the room. Seiichi had moved from his to Genichirou's lap. Masaharu snored on both his and Seiichi's chairs. Hiroshi chatted timidly with the waitress, Ami. Akaya had to get up and move around. His limps throbbed as he stretched them and he bit back a little yelp. He limped over to where Marui and Hikaru sat, then stopped dead in his tracks. How did he know that man's name? Akaya shook his wildly curly head.

"Hi Marui-Senpai."

He squinted. There was something wrong with his Senpai.

"What... Oh... H-hey..."

"Marui-Senpai, are you okay?"

Marui took his napkin with a shaking hand and wiped his face. He fell forward and his forehead pressed against Akaya's chest.

"Marui-Senpai!"

"Your friend doesn't look too good."

Akaya pulled Marui's shaking form close. Marui's breath was labored. Akaya slowly raised his head and his heart flipped over in his chest. He knew that man. He know him, but from where, and how? The man stood up.

"I can help."

Akaya backed up. Akaya backed up and desperately tried to pull Marui with him. Marui had gone completely limp and his dead wait caused Akaya to fall backward. Marui landed on top of him. Marui, being so much bigger than Akaya, crushed his already battered and abused body. A pair of shoes squeaked on the tile.

"Genichirou-Senpai, Yukimura-Buchou!"

Akaya's brilliant green eyes rolled back into his head.

"Yukimura-B-buchou..."

Akaya heard chairs squeaking and foot steps before everything went completely black.

Akaya felt an intense cold creep over him and engulf his entire body. He shivered and tightened his grip on whatever he was holding. It felt soft like fabric. Akaya opened his glazed eyes. He looked up shakily.

"G-Genichirou-Senpai?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You passed out in the diner. We're outside of the hospital."

"WHAT?! HOSPITAL?! NO!"

Genichirou nearly lost his hold on the squirming boy in his arms. He had no choice but to throw Akaya over his shoulder and pin his legs together. Akaya howled in pain as his sensitive stomach was pressed into Genichirou's muscled shoulder.

"STOP! STOP IT!"

Tears filled his eyes and leaked out onto his cheeks.

"S-stop... It hurts... It hurts so much..."

Genichirou relaxed his grip but did not release his little friend. Akaya cried and begged. He claimed he could walk. Finally, he fell limp, still weeping tears of pain.

"Where is Marui-Senpai?"

Genichirou didn't answer him. Akaya raised his head to see Jackel helping a dazed looking Marui walk. His face was blank and chalky white. The typical, playful grin and twinkle in his eye had gone. They had been replaced by a glassy, half dead expression.

Akaya was dragged to the examination room where the doctor had been called in. The whole team insisted that Marui go first, but he stubbornly refused and dug his nails into Jackel's arm when ever it was suggested. Akaya sat on the table, eyes bright red. He wined, demanding that Marui got help. The two were both equally stubborn. The doctor entered with a clipboard in front of his face.

"This must be the room with the group of weirdoes that crashed into the... Oh my god! Hi!"

A young man with half shaved black hair stared at them with large green eyes.

"Oishi-Kun?"

"Hi!"

He barely looked any different from when he was younger. Seiichi grinned and shook his hand.

"So who needs a physical?"

Akaya had rolled up into a ball and clutched Seiichi's sleeve with a shaking hand.

"Akaya-Chan needs to be looked at and..."

His eyes landed on Marui who was trembling just as badly as Akaya and leaning heavily on Jackel.

"Marui-Chan..."

"I don't need help... He does..."

Akaya shook.

"Don't want to be looked at! I hate doctors! They touch you! I don't want to be touched!"

Akaya began screaming and kicking again. Jackel handed Marui off to Hiroshi and made a feeble attempt to calm his little friend down.

"Akaya, Oishi-San isn't going to do anything to hurt you..."

Akaya writhed so much that Jackel had to pin his hands to the examination table.

"Akaya..."

Jackel was cut off by Marui whom, despite Hiroshi's warnings, was standing up on his own.

"I-I can handle this Jackel..."

Jackel raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think that's such a great idea Marui. He..."

"Jackel..."

Marui swayed dangerously and clutched the edge of the table.

"Fine."

Jackel made way for Marui. He approached slowly and looked Akaya strait in the face. Akaya flinched at the site of those blank violet holes in his friend's face. Marui leaned forward just enough so that their lips would meet. Akaya went ridged, but stopped fighting at once. Marui really did know how to kiss. Marui broke away from Akaya and threw him a smile that was more like a grimace. The events that followed went so quickly that nobody was really sure what had happened. Marui collapsed. He was rushed into emergency. Akaya began to struggle, but he put up a more pathetic fight than before. Oishi glanced around.

"I'm going to have to ask you all to leave now... I'll check on Marui-Kun just after I give Akaya his physical."

"But I d-don't want..."

Akaya mumbled. As the remaining team members of the Rikai team filed out, Akaya tugged Seiichi's jacket sleeve.

"D-don't leave... Yukimura-Buchou... I'm scared..."

Seiichi glanced over at Oishi and cocked his head to one side.

"Would that be alight with you Oishi-Kun?"

Shuichirou Sighed.

"I guess..."

Akaya's whole body shook. The cold had steadily been growing worse. He didn't understand why. Akaya clung desperately to Seiichi's arm in the hope that it would warm him a little. He had no such luck. Seiichi laid a slender hand on Akaya's forehead. He looked across at Genichirou and mouthed.

"He's burning up."

Shuichirou entered his little office and shut the door behind him. He made his way to his chair and sat down facing the team. Akaya had fallen into a deep slumber at Seiichi's side.

"You guys ready?"

Shuichirou fidgeted. Seiichi nodded.

"Well first off, I'd like to thank you for getting him here as soon as you could."

Shuichirou shuffled his papers. He was clearly uncomfortable with how this was going.

"It's clear that... well... I don't know how to put this... Err... He's, well, been violated... His anal cavity is, that is to say, a mess..."

He fidgeted again.

"If you would like me to stop, that's fine..."

"No."

Seiichi's intense gaze made Shuichirou quiver slightly.

"Keep going."

"O-okay... So, the cuts... Yes the cuts... Several small incisions have been made on his back and inner thighs... For a patient of this nature, that wouldn't have been unusual. Here's where it changes. Your friend's torso... If I may..."

He got up from his chair and knelt next to Akaya's sleeping form. Shuichirou gently pulled the overly large shirt up to reveal quite a bit of bandaging and, the team gasped, blackened bruise along two of his ribs. Shuichirou sat back down and mopped his face off.

"I had to do x-rays and, I'm sorry to say his ribs are broken. Not just broken but irritated as well. It's as if he went through strenuous exorcise in that condition." Shuichirou paused for a handkerchief to wipe his face with.

"And one last thing. Whoever did this to him, left something in which we might be able to identify him. It's going to be hard to hear this, but he bit you friend. I got photos and the dental records will be searched for a match."

Shuichirou bowed his head.

"I'm sorry..."

Seiichi looked down at his sleeping friend. Akaya had innocently buried his face in Seiichi's shoulder and mumbled something in his sleep. He smoothed back the black curls from Akaya's sweaty forehead. How could anyone hurt him in such a way?

Akaya knew he was awake due to the freezing sensation covering his entire body. He shivered and his hand tightened on whatever he was holding. Judging be the texture, it was some type of fabric. Akaya knew there was warmth in that body. Warmth that would not reach him. Somebody was carrying him. Akaya opened his eyes a fracture of an inch and spotted a head of blue hair.

"Yukimura-Buchou?"

"Hey Akaya-Chan."

Akaya squeezed his eyes tightly shut once more and tightened his grip on Seiichi's shirt in an attempt to stop shaking.

"Yukimura-Buchou..."

"Mm?"

"I'm cold... I'm so cold and it won't go away..."

Seiichi frowned as he laid the smaller bay on the back seat of Genichirou's car. It made no sense. Akaya had a temperature above one-hundred and yet he was acting as if he had gone to Alaska and had forgotten a jacket.

Akaya had begun to wine the moment he had awoken in Seiichi and Genichirou's apartment.

"Where's Marui-Senpai?"

Seiichi sighed and pulled the bed covers over the form of his shivering friend.

"I'm sure he'll be fine Akaya-Chan. Something at dinner didn't agree with him. Some type of chemical was used that reacted badly to sugar. I'll let you know when I know more. He smoothed the damp curls from Akaya's forehead.

"Get some sleep now... You aren't going to get better without sleep."

_Akaya sipped his tea. He had gone to the diner alone that night and he was incredibly bored. All of the rest of the team either had to work late or had to go to bed early for work the next day. Akaya longed for somebody to talk to. There was only one other customer besides himself. He was a man who looked about forty. His hair was blonde. He wore all grey save for a magenta scarf which was tied in front of his throat. He spotted Akaya and scooted so that he was on the stool right next to Akaya._

_"All by yourself tonight huh?"_

_Akaya swigged his tea before answering._

_"Uh-huh."_

_"Me too."_

_He held out a hand._

_"Hikaru."_

_"Akaya."_

_He shook it. It was nice to have somebody to talk to. It was sort of a relief. He was so pleased that he hadn't noticed something different about his tea. After a while, things started getting fuzzy. He decided it would be best for him to crash at one of the guys' places. _

_"I-I think..."_

_Akaya swallowed. The words wouldn't come out right. Akaya stood and the whole room began to spin. _

_"Are you sure you should be going out by yourself? To be honest, you look pretty sick." _

_"Mmh… I'm F-fine..."_

_Akaya took one step and went crashing down to the cold tile._

_Akaya couldn't remember how he had ended up on the bed. Despite his confusion, his whole body was completely relaxed. Akaya's head felt heavy as he lifted it to look around. Out of nowhere, it seemed, a hand shot out and pinned him down by the neck. A soft voice whispered in his ear. It told him to relax and that it wouldn't hurt if he did what he was told. The hot breath felt foul against his cheek. Akaya reached up in an attempt to push the man off of himself. It did him no good. His arms and legs were going numb. Akaya whimpered as his lower body was lifted clear off of the bed. He had never liked to beg but he pleaded. Akaya burst into tears. A foreign penetration made his lower body tremble in pain. Akaya gave a strangled cry. He longed for it to end. Unfortunately for him, it was long be for he passed out cold._

_Akaya shook with tears. His entire broken body throbbed in pain. How had this night gone so wrong? Why? Why him? The room was so dark, he couldn't tell if it was night or day and it was so cold. Even when he found his ruined clothes, they held no warmth. Akaya thought of all of his friends, of the Rikai team. Would he see them ever again? Probably not. Yukimura-Buchou, Renji-Senpai, Genichirou-Senpai, Jackel-Senpai, Masaharu-Senpai, Hiroshi-Senpai, Marui-Senpai... He would really miss Marui-Senpai. _

_Akaya rolled up into a ball. He had read about these types of things in the news papers. A person would go missing. Some for days, some for weeks, other were gone for months before any of them were found, raped and beaten. Akaya had never considered that person could possibly be him. He wanted out. As he tried to push himself up with numb limbs, Akaya gasped and fell back onto the blanket. A sudden sharp pain shot through his side. He clutched at the spot. It felt wet and scolding hot in his hands and he knew he was bleeding._

_Akaya heard the door slam and footsteps clomping up, what sounded like, stairs. The door to the room Akaya was imprisoned in, creaked open. He curled into a tighter ball and moaned pitifully._

_"Not again... Please, not again..."_

_Akaya was uncurled forcibly. Immediately, the sickening pains in his lower body returned. The man's breathing heavily on his neck._

_"S-stop..."_

_Akaya felt teeth sink into the soft skin at the spot in-between his neck and shoulder. He screamed a terrible, bloodcurdling screech. Then, he blacked out completely._

_Cold, battered, and bleeding, Akaya wanted nothing more than to get out. He pulled himself shakily to his feet. He still couldn't feel his legs. Akaya came crashing down. He whimpered. The door had been left a crack open. If he could just stand up... Just stand up and walk through that door. It flew open and smashed into his face. Blood trickled from the wound in his forehead down his face. A pair of shoes appeared in front of his bloodied face. A hand reached down and closed around his hair. Akaya didn't struggle. He'd accepted his fiat. He didn't realize as he was dragged down the stairs, that the numbing sensation was starting to dwindle away. This could be the perfect opportunity to get away. They were out of the house now. It seemed to be a garden. Akaya scanned the yard for a gate or another means of escape. Surely enough, there was a gate. Akaya was thrown to the pavement. The shadow of a man raising a shovel loomed over him. Akaya swerved but did not bet away entirely. The shovel landed with a sickening crunch on his ribs. Akaya used all of the strength he could get in order to stand. The man swung the shovel again, this time aiming for his head. Akaya dodged it and took a running jump. Normally, Akaya would have been able to clear the top of the wooden fence without a problem. Now, in his crippled and drugged state, his legs hit the fence and he toppled over it. Despite the agony he was in, Akaya began to run. He ran as faster than he had ever run in his life. Faster even than he used to at tennis practice._

_Akaya found himself in a park. It was the one he and Marui visited. It was just down the street from Marui's work. If he could just get there..._

Akaya woke thrashing and screaming at the top of his voice as the memories from days past spilled into his mind.

"Akaya! Akaya, calm down!" Genichirou's voice sounded through the din. Akaya tumbled off of the bed. He was shouting and crying. Akaya had remembered all of the three day blank in his mind and now it crashed over him like a stormy ocean wave. Some body pinned him down. Akaya lashed out and struck whoever it was in the face. He sprang to his feet, panting and shaking in pain. Genichirou looked about ready too kill him. He glared down at Akaya, clutching his cheek. The bone chilling cold that had engulfed Akaya earlier. A pang from his ribs sent him back to his knees. Seiichi approached slowly and knelt in front of him. Seiichi embraced Akaya warmly and held him securely. Akaya clutched at his Buchou's night shirt, sobbing uncontrollably. None of the warmth Seiichi's body gave off ever reached the younger boy in his arms.

"Hush now Akaya-Chan... You're safe here with us... It's just us..."


	3. Warmth

CHAPTER 3; Warmth

CHAPTER 3; Warmth

Akaya couldn't, more like refused to, go back to sleep. He and the two older boys sat at the miniscule kitchen table. Seiichi, concerned for Akaya, wanted to know what the dream had been about. Akaya flatly refused help of any kind.

"I want to see Marui-Senpai."

Akaya sat like a child. He had slid down his chair until all the other two could see were his jet black curls and blood shot eyes. Seiichi sighed and ruffled his sapphire locks.

"It's fine. We're going to the hospital in the morning. In the mean time, you need to take your medication and rest."

"I will not!"

Genichirou stared his little friend down.

"Listen you, Yukimura-Buchou isn't well and you, being a brat doesn't-"

"Genichirou-Kun, relax."

"But he-"

Seiichi's intense fuchsia eyes silenced him the way they always did. Genichirou turned away al little sheepishly.

"Take your medication Akaya. You don't have to sleep. Just take your pill and we'll see Marui-Chan in the morning. Okay?"

Akaya pouted his lip but nodded.

Akaya, Seiichi, and Genichirou entered the hospital room to find Marui in a heated argument with a flustered nurse. "But this food tastes to salty and bitter! I don't eat crap like this! Don't you have any cake?" "I'm sorry sir but the drug in your system had an adverse effect on your body due to the sugar content in your blood. You have to..."

"Cake or I'm not eating!"

"B-but..."

She caught sight of the three boys in the doorway and ran from the room. Genichirou smirked.

"Hey jerk, Looks like you made her cry."

Marui beamed up at his friends. He looked healthier. The color had returned to his cheeks. He was smiling and the twinkle had come back into his eyes. Marui laughed and stuck out his tongue out at them.

"Yeah! So-"

He stopped short. Akaya had approached his bed and flung his arms around Marui's neck.

"Hey kid..."

Marui smirked and hugged him back. This wasn't a friend's hug. This was something more.

"What's wrong?"

Marui felt Akaya's hot tears on his neck.

"What is it?"

Marui was half annoyed, half amused.

"I m-missed you s-so much!"

Marui's face fell.

"I was only gone for one night. Why?"

Akaya squeezed him even tighter.

"It's just that-that... What if he did the same thing to you he did to me?"

Akaya buried his face in Marui's shoulder. The warmth Marui gave off seemed to heat him from the core. It made him feel at home.

"I don't think I could bare it... I just couldn't bare it..."

Akaya tilted his head upward so that his watery green eye stared directly into Marui's purple ones.

"Plus, it's always so cold when your gone... You... You..."

Akaya fought to find the right words.

"You take away the cold."

Marui went the exact same shade of pink as his hair. Genichirou coughed embarrassedly. Seiichi chuckled and grabbed his boyfriend's hand.

"Well, we'll just get some tea then. Come Genichirou-Kun."

Seiichi steered Genichirou out of the room and giggled slightly. In a matter of minutes, Akaya's face matched Marui's. However, his blush was for a different reason. Marui didn't have to bend down far for their lips to meet. He chuckled nervously, satisfied with the blush he had produced.

"I've wanted to do that for a while now..."

Akaya covered his mouth embarrassedly and began to giggle as well. In no time, both of them had erupted into fits of laughter.

Jackel entered the room to visit his friend Marui.

"Hey there! How's our self proclaimed genius doing?!"

"Hey Jackel!"

Both boys piped up in unison. Akaya and Marui were relaxing on the hospital bed. Akaya was busy eating the gram crackers Marui had stuck his nose up at. Akaya leaned back on the pillows. He had hadn't slept much since he had dreamt what happened to him that weekend. Jackel raised an eyebrow at them.

"...Do I even want to know?..."

Marui reached over and snatched the cookie Jackel had been holding.

"Hey, that's mine!"

Marui pointed to the door.

"Go now! Go now! Shoo! Leave!"

Jackel rolled his eyes, but exited. Akaya appeared fast asleep when Marui turned to look at him. Akaya flinched when Marui pulled him in closer. He had grazed the broken ribs that were giving Akaya so much trouble.

"Sorry..."

"Tsokay..."

Blush crept up Marui's neck as Akaya snuggled into the warmth of his body.

"Akaya-Chan...?"

"Mm?"

Marui embraced the smaller boy and pulled him even closer, making him whimper a little.

"You remembered didn't you?"

Akaya fidgeted.

"I'm not ready to talk about it yet..."

He yawned.

"Mh... Excuse me... I'm just so... So sleepy..."

"It's all good! I don't care if you yawn all over me like some droopy dog! Oh no! I don't care at all!"

Akaya never heard him finish. He had begun to slumber gently at the sound of Marui's voice.

Seiichi and Genichirou returned to find the two younger boys curled up in each other's arms. Both of them appeared to be fast asleep. Genichirou wore a slightly horrified expression. Seiichi smiled knowingly and put a finger to his lips. Once more, Genichirou was steered from the room by his giggling boyfriend.


	4. The one worth crushing

CHAPTER 4; The one worth crushing

Akaya rolled over in bed. Marui lay, not too far from him. It had been about a month since Marui had been allowed to come home to his new boyfriend. Akaya's smaller wounds had mostly healed up. Marui's condition had changed drastically as well. It had taken him longer than expected to recover. The drug that had been slipped into his drink turned into a material that was poisonous to the human body when it combined with sugar. Akaya swore the doctor's eyes had popped out of his head when the when Marui's blood test came back and he spotted the sugar content. He had had the same reaction to them cuddling as well. Akaya laughed at the thought, but had to stop because his broken ribs made it painful. Marui's diet had become a strict, low sugar diet. Marui had always been a picky eater with a sweet tooth so naturally; he refused what they gave him. After a couple of weeks, he had become severely under weight. The doctor was forced to sedate him and put a feeding tube in. Marui then wined that he felt funny. The doctor's explanation that he had been hungry and his body was simply feeding him didn't go over well. Marui was only released because the doctors and nursed couldn't take the constant complaining. The smaller, less important reason for his release was that the drug had been washed out of his system. After Marui was let out of the hospital, Akaya took Marui out to lunch in order to celebrate. That was when Marui had popped the question.

"Will you be my Boyfriend?..."

There had been a very long, blushy silence before the response of.

"Y-yes..."

The phone next to the bed rang and Marui shifted in his sleep. Akaya sighed and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Marui? You need to come home!"

Akaya thought this was a little awkward.

"Err... This isn't Marui..."

"What?! Who are you?! Why are you answering my son's phone?!"

Akaya assumed that this woman must be Marui's mother.

"I'm his..."

He chose his words carefully.

"Room mate..."

During the long pause that fallowed, Marui grabbed Akaya around the middle and nuzzled his belly with his cheek. Akaya gave a squeak of discomfort as his boyfriend brushed his tender rib cage.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

The woman sighed.

"Just put him on the phone."

Akaya glanced down at Marui's peaceful face. He had didn't want to wake him.

"Just one second."

Akaya shook Marui's shoulder.

"What?"

"Your mom's on the phone."

"Mm..."

He turned over so that Akaya's firm belly would serve as a pillow. Akaya stroked his messy red hair.

"Hey Mama. Yeah... Yeah... uh-huh... I see... Yes Mama... I'll be sure to come home as soon as I can... Okay. Love you too. Bye. Baby, could you hang this up for me? Thanks."

Akaya felt the heat rise in his face. Marui had called him 'baby' when his mother was still on the line. Talk about embarrassing!

"My dad broke his leg."

This bluntness caught Akaya off guard.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He just never remembers how hard the other soccer players can kick."

"Oh."

Marui turned so that his cheek rested on Akaya's chest.

"Mom wants me to fly in and see them in Osaka as soon as I can."

He pulled the blankets up to his neck and nuzzled Akaya, tickling him with his hair.

"So do you want to get up?"

"No..."

Akaya had no say in the matter. Marui fell asleep on top of him and there was no way he could move without jerking his boyfriend rudely awake.

Marui and Akaya kissed passionately. Eventually, Marui let his language fall and wrapped his arms around Akaya's neck. They were interrupted by the airport loud speaker.

"Final boarding call for flight 177!"

Akaya barely managed to pant a few words in between kisses.

"I- I think you- you need to- to get on your plane..."

Marui licked the entire inside of his mouth. A shiver ran down Akaya's spine and he gave a little moan. Marui said his goodbyes, but before he left, Akaya latched around his middle.

"I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'll miss you too."

Marui started toward the terminal, but before he had disappeared he heard Akaya call after him.

"I love you!"

There was no time to react. He had to board the plane without giving a reply. Or it would leave without him.

Akaya huddled under the blankets in his and Marui's room. Nothing was keeping him warm. He had tried, what seemed to be, everything. Akaya stood. His knees trembled and he nearly lost his balance. Akaya removed all of his clothing, feeling little change in temperature if any. He walked, teeth chattering, to the restroom. There was only one thing he hadn't tried. Akaya reached into the shower and pushed the knob so that it was on the highest possible temperature. The water was hot, too hot. Yet, to Akaya, it was like trying to keep hold of water in your hands. It was hot on his skin, but it would sink no further. Akaya knew the boiling liquid was probably burning his back and irritating his wounds, yet it had rendered him helpless. Akaya could no longer move. He was a sitting duck.

The first thing Akaya remembered was being pulled, soaking wet, from his bath tub. Deep black eyes peered down at him. He blinked.

"Wh-What happened?..."

"Jesus Christ kid! What the hell were you thinking?! You almost died!" Akaya was a little confused. He felt completely dead. How could it be an almost? His burnt back was soothed against the cool tile. Akaya's eyes drifted to the face in front of him. He recognized the black cap as Genichirou-Senpai's. Genichirou-Senpai had saved him.

"Here"

A pair of slippers stopped next to him. Genichirou helped Akaya sit up. Akaya saw Seiichi on his other side holding a glass of water.

"You'll need this. You're overheated."

"It's lucky we came to see how you were holding up by yourself. Clearly, you weren't."

Akaya gulped down the water without paying any attention. Now he was thirsty, burnt, and chilled to the bone. He finished the glass of water in a heartbeat. Seiichi took his chin and tilted his face and peered into Akaya's brilliant green eyes.

"Still cold?"

Akaya blinked up at him. Genichirou didn't appear to like being left in the dark.

"What do you mean cold?! He nearly boiled himself alive!"

"He did that because he wasn't feeling warm."

Seiichi silenced him and glanced down at his little friend.

"You're staying with us until Marui-Chan comes back."

Akaya nodded. Not that he had any choice in the matter. When Seiichi decided on something, it was done. Besides, the company would comfort him a little.

"Ow!"

"Just hold still ya little twerp."

Genichirou was applying, of at least trying to apply ointment onto Akaya's bunt back and neck.

"But it huuuuuuuuuurts!"

Akaya wined loudly. He was silenced by a warning look from Seiichi.

"Akaya-Chan, you do realize that you have nobody to blame but yourself?"

Akaya held as still as possible but gritted his teeth in agony. His back was not what he had been referring to. The way he was positioned greatly aggravated his, half mended ribs. This recovery was becoming too much to deal with.

Akaya lay on his side in the guest bedroom. In his hand, he clutched a framed picture. He gazed at it and his lip began to tremble. It was a photo of himself and Marui. It had been taken when Marui had been on the feeding tube in the hospital. They had barely left each others' side during that time. The each had an arm around the others' shoulder. Both of them were making peace signs. Marui had one eye closed and was sticking his tongue out at whoever had taken the picture (Jackal cough cough Jackal). Akaya hugged it to his chest. When Marui had been starving, he had felt the cold, even when they were touching. This was because he had been fading away. When Marui was released, Akaya had figured he would never have to deal with that horrible sensation again. He couldn't have been more wrong. Now that Marui was far away, it had instantly returned. Akaya couldn't hold the photo steady, he was shaking too much. This was why he'd burned himself. He just wanted to warm up.

'Runt...'

Akaya's eyes snapped open.

"Who-who said that?!"

He received no reply. Akaya shuddered and hid under the covers. It did not quell his fear, nor did it stop the bone chilling cold.

The next morning wasn't exactly peaceful.

"I'm making breakfast!"

"Nonsense! Sit down Yukimura-Buchou! I'm making breakfast!"

Akaya had crashed at their apartment enough times to know how their mornings went. They were either loud because Genichirou was being a worried mommy or because Seiichi was PMSing. Sometimes they were quiet because Seiichi didn't feel well, this happened often.

Today was one of the louder ones.

"We don't h. any food!"

Akaya cowered in his room. He was wearing a "Barrowed" set of Genichirou's clothes. Barrowed meant Seiichi gave the clothes to Akaya and would inform Genichirou whenever he felt like it. Akaya rolled his eyes as Genichirou insisted Seiichi sit down and not help find food. Those two had been acting married since junior high.

"Found something!"

Akaya slunk to the kitchen to find Genichirou holding a box of barely touched oat meal. Akaya hated oat meal, but he ate it anyway. He hadn't really eaten anything since breakfast yesterday.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright Yukimura-Bushou?"

Seiichi did look a little too pale.

"I told you I'm fine sweet heart. Don't worry about me."

Genichirou insisted that Seiichi go straight back to bed. He decided to do some much needed food shopping, which left Akaya alone with the dishes.

Akaya scrubbed at a knife left over from last night's dinner. Doing dishes didn't take much mind power so his thoughts strayed. Akaya felt as if he had swallowed ice as he thought of Marui. He prayed that the chill would stop. It had grown steadily worse ever since Marui had left. He missed his boyfriend. Without him, there was no cure for the cold.

"Pathetic..."

Akaya shuddered.

"Who said that?!"

A resounding high pitched cackle made him whirl around. That defiantly wasn't Seiichi. The laughter grew louder and Akaya backed up until he hit the sink. He slid down it to the floor. He shut his eyes and shook his curly head. He willed it to stop.

"I said pathetic."

From behind Akaya's closed eye lids, a face apeared. It was him, yet it wasn't. It wore the mask of a daemon. His eyes were bright red and blood shot.

"It's pathetic how helpless you are..." Akaya shook his head even harder. There was no mistaking it. This daemon inside of him was the one speaking.

"You've been beaten at last Kirihara, Akaya... You've been crushed... You are the one worth crushing..."

Akaya slid to the cold tile floor.

"Please..."

Tears sprang from the corner of his eyes.

"Leave me alone..."

The monster inside of him began to laugh again. It was even louder this time.

"Fool!"

Akaya lay, shaking and dripping in sweat. He had no clue how he had gotten there. Akaya a pushed on his trembling arms in an attempt to get up, but a bursting pain from his left arm sent him 

crashing back to the tile floor. Akaya looked down. His left forearm was completely covered in a red sticky mess of his own blood. A knife, the one he had been washing, was clutched, dripping, in Akaya's right hand. It glowed red. Tears fell from his bright green eyes, mixing with the blood seeping from his opened wound. Akaya blinked and fought to remain conscious. The redness of the blood stretched in front of his eyes. Laughter rang in his ears as he collapsed in a pool of his own blood.

"Akaya, wake up! Please wake up!" Akaya's vision was fuzzy, but a cloud of blue and black swam into view.

"Yu-ki-mu-ra B-buchou?..."

"Thank God! He'd alive! Genichirou, he's alive!"

"What?..."

"Hush!"

Seiichi laid a hand on his forehead.

"You need to take it easy. You were losing too much blood and I'm pretty sure your heart is still beating irregularly. Genichirou had to bring you back."

Akaya felt Seiichi's long fingers checking his vitals.

"I'm pretty sure you're going to be fine now."

Red hot pain shot through Akaya's arm making him cry out softly.

"I'm just cleaning and bandaging your arm. It will sting a little. Just relax."

Akaya was fatigued out of his mind. Yet he was too afraid to go to sleep. Akaya squeaked with discomfort as the bandages were applied. He could no longer stand it. Sleep crashed over him like a wave as soon as he shut his eyes.

"Why?"

Akaya couldn't look at either of the older boys in the eyes.

"Why did you hurt yourself like that?"

Akaya clenched his fists. It wasn't fair! He would never slice himself up.

"I didn't!"

His voice broke. An image of the demonic being shot through is mind and he shuddered involuntarily.

"I swear it wasn't me!"

Genichirou refused to believe a word he said. Seiichi seemed almost sad.

"You have to believe me!"

Tears sprang from the corners of Akaya's eyes.

"I was doing the dishes and then I was on the floor! I don't want pain! I hate it! You don't even know what it was like! It was more pain than any one person should feel ever!"

Akaya was sobbing now.

"I was raped! I was raped twice and beaten too!"

Akaya's voice had risen in volume without him realizing it.

"He broke my ribs and tried to kill me! If you think anyone whose gone through that would like pain, you're out of your fucking minds!"

Akaya broke down entirely. Hot tear ran down his cheeks. He could no longer speak. Seiichi's thin but muscular arms wrapped around his shoulders. Akaya allowed the embrace as he cried.

"I m-miss Marui-Senpai s-so m-much!"

Akaya sat at the small kitchen table. He was dizzy, but perfectly alive. He winced as he removed the bandages from his left forearm. Before, the wound had been covered in blood so he couldn't tell what it looked like. Now he saw that it in an odd shape. The cut was a circle with two flames inside of it. One was engulfing the other. Two triangles stuck out of the top and bottom of the circle. Akaya stared, wide eyed. He knew that shape from somewhere, but he couldn't recall where. Seiichi peered over his shoulder at it. They had all decided that it wasn't safe for Akaya to be in a room by himself.

"I was hoping you could tell me about that Akaya-Chan."

Akaya continued to blink down at the symbol carved into his flesh. Why couldn't he remember?

'Weak...'

Akaya jumped and looked up at Seiichi.

"Was that you?"

Seiichi narrowed his violet eyes.

"Was what me?"

'Too weak to remember anything...'

Akaya's green eyes grew wide as he stared into the red eyes of the masked beast before him. Someone's hand grabbed a hold of his arm. Its nails dug into the fresh cuts. Akaya screamed as the laughter grew louder.

"The weaker the dog, the louder it barks. In this case, that certainly applies."

Akaya felt warm liquid run down his arm. It filled his nails. To his horror he found that the nails in his arm were his own. Akaya felt himself fall and hit cold ground. He struggled to stay awake. Somebody was behind him, trying to pull his arms behind his back. So far they were having no luck. Tears sprang from Akaya's eyes as his nails scraped down his mangled arm. He blinked, trying to remain conscious. It did him no good. His green eyes rolled back into his head and he fell into nothing.

A hand came down and pinned him to the bed by his neck. Through his misty vision, Akaya could see a vivid black tatoo on the man's forearm. It was a circle with two flames and one triangle on top and one on the bottom. A crippling pain in Akaya's entrance made his numb arm shoot up. He dug his nails into the flame, but his arm was losing feeling quickly. It was dragged down by gravity. He tattooed skin tore beneath his finger nails and they filled with the man's blood. The pain shot through Akaya's entire body like a knife. High pitched laughter resounded in his head.

'I have absolutely no sympathy for you'

'Get out...'

The man dug his hips in and he howled.

'I said get out!"

Akaya's wild green eyes shot open. He was sitting on the on the cold tile with his head bowed. Seiichi's face was inches away from his own. Akaya tried to move, but his bloodied arms were pinned securely against his burned back. By now, he thought that the icy sensation shouldn't be a surprise. Still, he couldn't help but shiver.

"L-let go..."

The image of a single, tattooed forearm seemed to be burned into his brain.

"Can't do that kid. You were hurting yourself."Genichirou's voice sounded behind him. Akaya was barely listening. He shut his eyes. His teeth began to chatter. It felt like the time in junior high when he and Marui had raided the cafeteria. They had gone into the freezer, which was huge. Marui had thought he had gone out before him and had shut him inside. Akaya had thought he would freeze to death. But Marui had pulled his limp body out. He had taken away the cold. Only this time, there was no Marui. Akaya couldn't help but give a little moan. A hand pressed against his forehead.

"Mm, Genichirou-Kun, He's freezing."

Marui landed with a thump on the hardwood floor. He grumbled and pushed himself up. He had fallen from the couch in his parents' house. Marui had arrived the night before. His connecting flight had been delayed and he had been forced to spend the night in a strange town. Marui untangled himself from the blankets and stood up. He was hungry. Marui pushed his magenta hair and made his way to the kitchen. Marui was always hungry, but was such a picky eater, that he almost never ate what was available.

"Maaaaaa!"

His irritation was obvious.

"This is all health food!"

He had had crispy kreams the night before so he hadn't seen what was available.

"Maaa!"

"I heard you, I heard you! Your father and I are on a diet!"

"Argh!"

Marui slammed his head against the refriidgerator several times. This was just like the hospital. No food for him. And here his mother had been complaining about how thin he was. What did she expect? No food, no eating. It was as simple as that. She entered the kitchen, rolling her eyes. She was a short woman. Her hair was going grey, but her true hair color, magenta, showed at the roots. She squinted at her son.

"You are way too skinny! You're like a twig!"

"Well I don't like hospital food..."

He mumbled. His mother began raving. What do you mean hospital?! You were in a hospital? When did this happen?! Why didn't you call us?!"

Marui left the kitchen to go get some green apple bubblegum.

"I'm talking to you! Why were you in the hospital?!"

Marui really hadn't wanted to bring up the whole date rape drug thing with his mother. She was a total spaz.

"I just drank tea after putting it down and I didn't exactly keep watch on it. Akaya-Chan was there though."

Marui smirked at the thought of his curly headed boyfriend. An image of Akaya making puppy eyes flashed in his mind and he gave a little chuckle.

"The whole team was there. Don't worry Ma. Nothing happened."

Marui blew a green bubble. His cell phone rang and it popped on his face.

"Moshi moshi. Genius speaking."

"Marui-Senpai!"

"Akaya-Chan?!"

Marui shuddered. His boyfriend's voice sounded horrible. It kept cracking and it was scratchy. An image of Akaya lying bleeding somewhere forced its way into Marui's mind and he panicked.

"Akaya-chan, you don't sound good! Where are you?! Are you Okay?! Are you hurt?! Are you ill?!"

"I'm okay. I just, just miss you that's all..."

"Your sick aren't you?! I know! I'm a genius!"

Akaya laughed but it soon turned into a cough.

"I'll be okay. I'm just cold... It's nice to hear your voice..."

It never occurred to Marui that Akaya had called simply to hear him.

"Jesus Christ! If I'd known you wouldn't be okay unless I had you on a leash, I would have put you in a collar and taken you with me."

"I like it when you talk like that baby..."

"Akaya-Chan..."

Akaya coughed.

"Yeah?"

"You need to take care of yourself. If I come home to find you in the emergency room or something-"

"Marui-Senpai..."

"What?! What is it?!"

"I love you."

Marui smiled a little embarrassedly.

"Yeah, I love you too Akaya-Chan..."

His usually savvier features softened as he voiced how he felt. He spotted his mother giggling.

"I'll call you tomorrow okay?! Take care of yourself!"

"Yeah, I will. I'm going right to sleep after this."

"Bye."

"Bye."

No sooner had Marui pressed the end button did his mother start talking.

"That was your girlfriend wasn't it?! I want to know everything about her!"

Marui only answered her questions vaguely. He didn't relish the thought of his parents finding out he was dating one of the boys from the old Rikai tennis team.

It was the fifth day of Marui's stay with his parents. He would be leaving for home the next day. His father's leg seemed to be doing better. Marui had been secretly calling Akaya at the bakery across the way from his parents' place. Akaya didn't appear to be getting any better. He was on the verge of losing his voice and, even though he wouldn't admit it, Marui could tell he was in allot of pain. Occasionally, Akaya's teeth would chatter. Whenever Marui inquired, Akaya would always soften him up with an 'it's nothing' fallowed be an 'I love you'.

Unfortunaly, Marui's plan of secrecy was foiled when Akaya called his phone while he was still in the house.

"Moshi moshi. Genius here... Oh hey baby!"

The phone was aggressively yanked out of his hands.

"Hello there! This is Marui's mother! I assume you're his sweetheart! I don't believe we've been introduced. Akaya went into a fit of coughing before he answered.

"Yeah... I am... But we have been introduced... You used to go to his tennis matches and you called the apartment before. I-"

Akaya coughed again.

"I answered remember?"

There was nothing Marui could do to stop this little interaction from happening. His mother's eyes strayed to his face.

"He'll call you back."

Marui winced when she hung up on Akaya. Akaya had enough to be worried about without being hung up on.

"That's your girlfriend isn't... He..."

That sentence didn't sit right in Akaya's ears.

"Ma, just listen."

She waved a hand at him.

"It's fine. I've known for years... I'm just worried about how your father will handle it."

Marui rolled his luggage out of the claim area to the place where the team was waiting to greet him. Before Marui knew it, Akaya was on top of him with both arms and legs wrapped around his body. Akaya kissed him in a way that they had never kissed before. It was one of those full on, open mouth, closed eye kinds you only see in yaoi boujinshi. Akaya pulled away and rested his forehead on top of Marui's. His watery green orbs made Marui want to throw him down and have his way with him right there.

"I missed you..."

Marui wrapped his arms around Akaya's middle.

"I missed you too."

Marui set Akaya down on his feet. Akaya was not to be shaken off so easily. He hugged Marui's and nuzzled his chest. Marui blushed and pretended to be interested in the ceiling. They were rudely interrupted by a loud giggle from Seiichi. They looked up to see several wide eyed onlookers. The team took Renji's and Genichirou's cars back home. Genichirou dropped Akaya and Marui off at the Caramel Apple on his and Seiichi's way home. There had been several complaints from customers. Akaya had not been the only one to Miss Marui. As Marui helped Akaya out of the car, he grabbed Akaya's left forearm. He was not aware of the state it was in. Akaya yelped and stumbled out of the car. When Akaya refused to shoe Marui what was bothering him, Marui grabbed his wrist and pulled the sleeve back. From the elbow down, Akaya's arm was encased in bandaging.

"What happened to your arm Akaya?!"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter..."

Akaya couldn't look at him in the eye.

"Akaya!"

"I was washing the dishes at Genichirou and Yukimura-Buchou's place and my hand slipped while I was washing a knife."

Marui forced Akaya to look him in the eyes.

"Are you telling me the truth? Because if you aren't Akaya-"

"I swear!"

The heart stopping cold made Akaya stagger.

"Come on."

Marui helped Akaya up the stairs. He laid Akaya down in the bed and fell asleep as well.


	5. Lovers don't lie

CHAPTER 5: Lovers Don't Lie

Marui's entire body felt heavy. He was so sleepy. A weight on his chest made him open his eyes. Akaya's head rested comfortably on top of his chest. The rest of Akaya's body was draped across him like some sort of matrice. Akaya's face resembled a sleeping angel. Marui gave a small a smile, shut his eyes, and began to stroke Akaya's curls. A knock at the door made him falter for a second.

"Doors open…"

"Good morning!"

Seiichi ambled and, smiling down at his two younger friends.

"I just thought I'd check on you two boys."

Seiichi stopped and knelt at the side of the bed. He peered at Akaya's contently resting form.

"I'd get up but… I'm kinda stuck."

"Next time, leave a book or something next to the bed. That's what I do in case Sanada-Kun gets cuddly."

"Yukimura-Buchou… That's gross…"

Seiichi giggled and smoothed a curl of Akaya's hair behind his ear. He smiled at Akaya.

"That's the most peaceful I've seen him since you left Marui-Chan."

Akaya shifted, but did not wake. He seemed to be a child who was having a good dream. Seiichi's smile widened.

"You'll take good care of him now?"

Marui let his heavy eyelids droop.

"Yes, Yukimura-Buchou…"

With surprising strength, Seiichi took hold of Marui's chin.

"That wasn't a question. You will take care of him. You'll do it, or I'll know why."

Seiichi's deep blue eyes bore into Marui's purple ones. There was no agruing with Seiichi. Even at his worst, his authority was absolute.

"I swear Yukimura-Buchou! I will!"

Seiichi let go of Marui, smiled, and nodded.

"I trust you."

Marui blew a bubble as he stocked shelves. Today was his first back at work. He'd been out on sick leave for a couple of weeks. The customers were glad to have him back. Marui blew another bubble and let it pop on his face. Customers came and went as if no time had passed. Late that afternoon, Genichirou arrived, looking a little shaken. This happened one a month. Seiichi sent Genichitou out to the Caramel Apple to get fudge. It was a PMS thing. Marui got the usual, dark chocolate almond fudge. Seiichi loved it.

"Yukimura-Buchou wants me to ask you how the kid is doing."

"I left him upstairs. He's asleep. It'll take an earthquake to wake him up."

Marui fetched the squares of fudge and slipped them into a waxy bag.

"Good, how's his arm?"

Marui rang up the sweets on the register.

"It's okay. Why wouldn't it be?"

Genichirou stared at him, puzzled.

"He had a small accident while washing the dishes… Right?"

Genichirou narrowed his eyes.

"No… No. I left for food while he was doing the dishes. Yukimura-Buchou was feeling a little under the weather so the kid was alone. I got back and he was out cold on the floor, bleeding like crazy. I had to necessitate him myself. There's nothing small about that. And there was this symbol… You didn't know…?"

Marui dropped the bag of fudge. His brain went numb and unfocused.

"Marui? You look sick."

'What happened to your arm Akaya?!'

'Nothing… it doesn't matter…'

'Are you telling the truth, Because if you aren't-'

'I swear!'

Akaya sat up slowly and stretched. He hadn't realized how long he had been asleep. His head felt dull and heavy. As he stretched, his left arm seared with pain. Akaya hissed and clutched the bandage. He noticed how old it was. The bandage needed changing. Akaya removed it painfully. Somebody opened the door. Akaya coovered the wound hurriedly with his sleave. He wirled around. Marui stood framed in the doorway. Fire seemed to have been lit behind his purple eyes.

"Marui-Senpai? Is something wrong?"

Akaya wasn't sure what happened next. Marui lunged and pinned Akaya down on the bed by the neck. Akaya shut his eyes as Marui stradled him. Marui's other hand shut down. Memories of that night last month. The night he had almost died. He had been in the same position then. Marui yanked his sleave back to his elbow. It scraped against the cut, which began to bleed. Akaya's eyes shot open. Marui's face was inches away. His features were hurt mixed with hurt.

"So it was you! You did this to yourself!"

Marui stood. He adressed Akaya facing the wall.

"You lied to me Akaya… You told me it was an accident."

Marui turned his head. Akaya saw the tears, swimming in his boyfriend's eyes like fish in a pond. Akaya pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Marui-Senpai…"

"Akaya… People who love each other… They don't lie about something like that… They just don't…"

A single tear slid down Marui's cheek. The words stabbed Akaya like the cold cruel blade of a sword. They seemed to slide inbetween his ribs and cut deep, deep into his heart.

"Marui-Senpai!"

Marui turned to face him. He looked just like Akaya felt inside. Heartbroken.

"Get out."

"Bu-"

"Out!"

Akaya banged desparately on Seiichi and Genichirou's front door. He'd walked all the way from the Caramel Apple and he'd cried the whole way. It felt as if a frozen hand had reached into his chest and closed it's fingers around his heart. Finnaly, the door opened a crack.

"I'll be right back Masaharu-Kun."

"YUKIMURA-BUCHOU!"

Akaya flung his arms around Seiichi's middle and sobbed.

"Akaya-Chan! What's wrone? Here. Sit down and talk to me about it."

Seiichi pealed himself away from his little friend. He steered Akaya to the tiny kitchen table. Masaharu sat in the chair usually occupied by Genichirou. Seiichi set a kettle down and left it to boil.

"M-Marui-Senpai… M-my arm…"

He saw, now that his arm was laid out on a table, that he was bleeding.

"Marui-senpai saw my arm! He won't listen! Now he thinks I don't love him because I lied to him about something seriouse! It hurts! It hurts so much, I can't breath!"

"That's because you cried too much smart one."

Masaharu slapped Akaya on the back. Akaya howled in pain. Seiichi turned away from the water and shot Masaharu a warning look. Masaharu muttered something along the lines of.

"Trying to cheer him up…"

This was an oddly sweet behavior for Masaharu. There had to be a reason. The kettle wistled and Seiichi came back with two cups of tea. Masaharu, Akaya noticed, simply had a bottle of American imported Jack Daniels in front of him. Seiichi sat down next to Masaharu who was curently the one who was rooming with Seiichi. Akaya gazed up at him with pleading eyes.

"Yukimura-Buchou, what do I do?!"

Seiichi reached over and ruffled Akaya's hair fondly.

"Go home tommarow and tell him. By now, he's probably moved on to the silent treatment. This will give you the upper hand. He'll have to listen. He's a stuborn kid, but he loves you so you should come out fine."

Akaya sat on the bed in the upstairs room of thr Caramel Apple. He had snuck in while Marui had been behind the shop getting something. The room was never locked which made acces easier. It would be time for Marui to close shop soon. Akaya fidgeted with the corner of his sleve. He wasn't sure how he should word the truth. Akaya heard feel assending the stairs. The door nob rattled and Marui entered. He looked tired and almost ill. Marui ruffled his messy hair. Akaya cleared his throat and shuffled his feet. Marui's violet eyes met his. They were bloodshot from lack of sleep.

"I…"

It was even harder to say it than Akaya had expected.

"I-I'm sorry M-Marui-Senpai… I'm sorry I lied to you…"

Marui walked strait past him to his gum jar. This was the silent treatment Seiichi had mensioned. Akaya could talk without being interupted.

"The part about the dishes was true. The rest is going to sound insane… I was washing the knife and… You know thing I used to do with the red eyes and the atacking people durring tennis?"

Marui blew a bubble. Akaya took it as a sine of acnoledgement.

"Most people don't know the whole story about that. There's this… Thing, this… Monster that gets stirred up and makes me do things… Does that make sence? I blacked out and it sort of… Took over… I don't remember the details. They're all blurred. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor, bleeding and unable to do anything. I-I almost died because of that-that thing inside of me. It hurt so much… You probably don't believe-"

Akaya never finnished his sententce for marui had crossed the room and planted a kiss on his mouth. Akaya wondered wether he was forgiven. Marui pulled his face away just far enough so that their noses were touching.

"Stop talking… You sound like a nut."

Marui caressed Akaya's face with the back of his hand.

"But your just too damn adorable… I would never be able to stay mad at you…"

Marui tilted his face upward and began to kiss him repeatedly. His hand moved up to the back of Akaya's neck, running his fingers through his hair. Akaya snaked his arms anround Marui's neck and kissed back.

Marui decided that they should go on a make up date.

"There's this new ramen place I wanna try."

And Marui was the boss, so they went. The couple sat down at the counter and placed their orders.

"Hey guys!"

The couple turned to see a familiar, orenge haired boy beaming at them.

"Wow! Lucky me! Old friends!"

Sengoku, Kyosumi clasped hands with Marui and Akaya.

"I haven't seen you in like forever!"

Kyosumi sat back down. Marui cought sight of a smaller, blue haired boy sitting next to him.

"You guys… Um… Kirimaru, Ayaka and… Bunto, Mariu…"

They both blabered, exhasperated.

"Bunta, Marui!"

"Kirihara, Akaya!"

"Yeah that."

He scratched the back of his orenge head.

"Oh! I think you know my hubby."

The blue haired boy spat out a mouth full of noodles and choked.

"S-s-s-Sengoku-Senpai!"

His green eyes shone. Kyosumi ruffled his wavey hair. He kissed him on the cheek.

"This is Dan,Taichi. He's my boyfriend."

"D-don't-"

Kyosumi laughed loudly.

"It's cool Taichi. Their gay too."

Taichi's sholdiers relaxed.

"Oh…"

An adorable, winning smile broke over his face.

"Great!"

He resumed slirping noodles.

Kyosumi turned back to Marui and Akaya. "You see, he had a bad run in with people who don't favor our… preference. He's been scared to death somebody will find out he's with me and… Well you get it."

The ramen, they shortly discovered, was desgusting. Kyosumi didn't seem to mind though. He sat there, talking the entire time. He didn't stop untill Taichi fell asleep at the counter.

"I should get him back home."

Kyosumi threw his money onto the counter and hoisted Taichi onto his back. Taichi hugged him around the neck.

"If we're lucky, which we will be, we'll see each other soon. Buy!"

Kyosumi left, piggybacking Taichi.

"I think I'm going to be sick.."

Akaya helped Marui along.

"I don't think the food agreed with me… You gotta admit, that shit was nasty…"

Marui heaved and vomited all over the hood of a car.

"Hey! Watch it!"

A middle aged man walked briskly up to them and hollared.

"What the- Aw! My truck! Godamnit!"

The owner turned to them in anger. That was whan Akaya got a good look at his face. The man was blonde and looked about forty. A pink scarf was wound around his neck and tied in the front. Akaya's breath quickened. He could hear shouting, but couldn't understand what they were saying. His head was fuzzy and began spinning. Something hard hit his body.

"Akaya! Akaya!"

'I'm okay Marui senpai. Don't worry about me.' Was what he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out. His eye lids drooped and the bright green eyes rolled back.

Marui shook as an ambulence drove away with the love of his life, comatose in the back. He couldn't take much more of this.

"Akaya…"

Hot tears sprang from his purple eyes. The blonde man had fled the scene. He pulled his lime green cell phone from his pocket and dialed numbly. Marui called the police and gave them the licence plate and description of the vehicle.

The heart moniter beeped slowly. Marui wiped the sweat from his brow.He had no idea how long they'd been in that hospital room. Akaya was in a koma. The doctor claimed it was due to shock. He had also mensioned that Akaya might never wake up. Somebody tapped him on the shoulder. He slowly raised his head to see the nurse he had made cry last time hi had been there.

"I j-just thought you might be interested…"

She held out todays' news paper.

"It-it's just, you and your friend are mensioned… well yeah…"

She ran off without waiting for Marui to thank her. Marui unfolded the paper without realy caring. He felt detached, as if a part of him was in a coma as well. A mug shot of the blonde man glared up at him from the front page. The title read "Man charged with multiple rape and murder charges."

Underneath the mug shot was an extensive article.

'Obata, Hikaru was brought in for questioning late last night. The police had received an anonimouse tip about him not an hour beforhand. Even though he denied that he was involved in these crimes while he was being interigated, Obata let slip his guilt to one of the in mates.

"It wasn't my fault." Obata claims "Those boys were legal and, from my jugement, were asking for it.'

Marui shook with rage. How dare he say that about Akaya!

'When questioned a second time, Oobata revealed to the police where he had lived. The house was thourowly searched. The authorities woun't disclose everything. However, They did say that one of the rooms was full of evidence and pleanty of DNA samples were taken from this room. In the yeard, a shovel covered in more DNA samples. A hole had been dug and undug several times before authorities located it. Four bodies were found inside of it. They have not yet been identified. All that is known for sure is that they were all males in their early twenties. (see page B4)

Marui, repulsed, crumpled up the paper and lobbed it at the waist paper basket. He missed it by several feet. Marui covered his face and sobbed. Finnaly, Marui managed to rais his head. An image of Akaya, cold and alone in some strange bedroom forced his way into Marui's mind. Opening his eyes gave him no comfort. Akaya, hooked up to tubes and machines to keep him breathing and moniter his heart. Even though Marui was with him, Akaya had to feel so alone. Marui stood, a little unsteady on his feet, and sat on the edge of Akaya's bed. Marui lifted Akaya's limp body so that the head rested just under his chin. He hugged Akaya tightly. Akaya's skin was warm and moist. A tear fell from Marui's eye and glistened on Akaya's cheek.

"Akaya… I'm never going to leave you ever again. Marui kissed the top of his head. He rocked Akaya back and forth.

"Realy…?"

Marui's shimmering eyes shot open. Akaya's glassy green eyes gazed up at him.

"We'll always be together…"

His voice was quiet and scratchy. Another tear fell to Akaya's cheek. He gave a little laugh and squeezed Akaya tightly.

"Yeah."

His voice cracked.

"We'll always be together…"

Akaya's hands came up and pressed against Marui's chest and gave Marui a peck on the lips. Then he wrapped his arm around Marui's neck and burried his face into the warmth of Marui's body. It rose and engulfed his entire body, flooding his heart.


End file.
